Montesquieu's Theory: Sentence Arrangement

This question asks us to arrange four jumbled sentences (P, Q, R, S) to form a coherent paragraph, given the fixed first sentence (S1) and last sentence (S6).

S1: Montesquieu was a great philosopher of his time.

S6: He supported constitutional monarchy in France like the English one.

Jumbled Sentences Analysis

Let's break down each jumbled sentence to understand its meaning and potential role in the paragraph:

• P: He wanted power to be shared between the king, the nobles, and the Third Estate. (This sentence discusses the distribution of power among different social classes.)
• Q: In his book The Spirit of the Laws, he propagated the theory of separating powers into three branches of government the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary. (This sentence introduces Montesquieu's most famous political theory: the separation of governmental powers.)
• R: To prevent any one of the three classes from becoming too powerful, Montesquieu suggested the making of a new constitution based on checks and balances. (This sentence explains the purpose of implementing checks and balances, linking it to preventing the dominance of social classes.)
• S: If this was done, he argued, there would be no tyranny and the liberty of the individual could be safeguarded. (This sentence describes the positive outcome or benefit of applying the suggested system – safeguarding liberty.)

Sentence Order Logic

We need to determine the most logical sequence for P, Q, R, and S to create a smooth flow between S1 and S6.

Step 1: Finding the starting point.

Sentence Q is the most logical starting point among the jumbled sentences. It introduces Montesquieu's seminal work and his core concept of separating powers into three distinct branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary. This provides a foundational idea that subsequent sentences can build upon.

Step 2: Building the sequence.

Following Q, we consider the relationship between the remaining sentences:

• Sentence P discusses Montesquieu's view on sharing power among the three social classes (king, nobles, Third Estate). This can be seen as the societal context or application of his theory of power distribution.
• Sentence R logically follows P by explaining why power sharing among classes is important and introducing the mechanism: "checks and balances" to prevent any single class from becoming too dominant.
• Sentence S concludes the discussion on power management by stating its positive impact – preventing tyranny and safeguarding individual liberty. The phrase "If this was done" clearly refers to the checks and balances mentioned in R and the power sharing discussed in P.

This progression creates a coherent narrative:

1. Introduction of Montesquieu (S1).
2. Explanation of his theory of separating governmental powers into branches (Q).
3. Discussion of power distribution among social classes (P).
4. Elaboration on checks and balances for social classes (R).
5. The resulting benefit: liberty and absence of tyranny (S).
6. Concluding remark on his political support (S6).

Thus, the order QPRS provides the most logical flow.

Final Arrangement: QPRS

The correct arrangement of the jumbled sentences is QPRS. The complete paragraph reads:

S1: Montesquieu was a great philosopher of his time.

Q: In his book The Spirit of the Laws, he propagated the theory of separating powers into three branches of government the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary.

P: He wanted power to be shared between the king, the nobles, and the Third Estate.

R: To prevent any one of the three classes from becoming too powerful, Montesquieu suggested the making of a new constitution based on checks and balances.

S: If this was done, he argued, there would be no tyranny and the liberty of the individual could be safeguarded.

S6: He supported constitutional monarchy in France like the English one.

This sequence effectively explains Montesquieu's influential ideas on political philosophy, emphasizing the importance of separating powers and implementing checks and balances to ensure freedom.